Les itinéraires de Procope et la métrologie de l’Antiquité tardive

Abstract

Amongst other geographical data, the works of Procopius contain more than two hundred indications of distance, for the most part by land routes, reckoned either in miles (only in the Buildings), stadia or days. These three units correspond, says Procopius, to the scale whereby 7 stadia = 1 mile and 210 stadia (30 miles) = 1 day’s journey. The rate of seven stadia to the mile, instead of eight as in Pliny and Strabo, is not an innovation of Procopius but appears to be the metrological rule in Late Antiquity. However, Procopius’s consistency in the use of these units of measure has been brought into doubt. It must be borne in mind that the figures he gives are in general not primary data and, for a correct interpretation, one must reconstruct his calculations. The purpose of this article is to check the hypothesis that Procopius generally based himself on data given in miles (with the exception of distances at sea) and that, for stylistic reasons, he converted miles into stadia or days in accordance with the rates cited. A complete inventory includes all distances given in these three units of measure (Tables 2-4). In the distances in stadia, the great proportion of multiples of seven confirms the use of the prescribed rate (Table 5). Nevertheless, the preponderance of multiples of ten shows also that Procopius often rounded off the figures obtained by multiplication by seven. Often the historian shades his figures with the use of different adverbs of approximation (Tables 6-7). The margin of approximation, though of little consequence for a small unit such as the stadion, is of much greater importance for the very imprecise measure of a day’s journey, often used in connexion with short distances. The examination of several particular cases illustrate these analyses, demonstrating the process whereby Procopius tried to reconcile two contradictory requirements: that of giving exact information concerning distances whilst avoiding the use of the unit of measure best adapted to this purpose, the mile.

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